Guinean Prime Minister Lansana Kouyate made his first official visit to the United States this month, marking a major milestone in what has been a very tumultuous time for the West African nation. Recent developments in Guinea include scheduled parliamentary elections in December and a re-instated economic program sponsored by the International Monetary Fund. These developments follow months of violence and civil unrest in the country.

On January 10th, a nationwide strike was initiated by labor unions calling for an end to Guinea’s long history of corruption and to President Conte’s administration. Rising costs of living and economic mismanagement were additional grievances cited by the strike leaders. While the strikes were concentrated in the national capital of Conakry, countless strikes occurred throughout the country. As a result, President Conte reluctantly agreed to reinstate the vacant office of Prime Minister and to relinquish certain presidential powers to the new Prime Minister. These promises led to the temporary suspension of strikes in February. However, once the President appointed Eugene Camara, a known supporter of Conte, as the Prime Minister, union leaders became outraged. Another outbreak of violence dimmed hopes for a lasting peace and sparked fears of a civil war in Guinea. At the end of February, a consensus Prime Minister was finally agreed upon, and Lansana Kouyate was sworn into office on March 1st. This appointment was the first tangible sign of peace following two chaotic months during which over 100 civilians were killed and an additional 1,000 injured [1]. In addition, it marks a new opportunity for the country to re-invent its government. While President Conte remains in power, his regime has been weakened as the strikes have placed a spot-light on his shortcomings and inability to provide justice to the nation. Guineans’ public-will has proved to be a formidable force in the country.

By the end of March, the Prime Minister had appointed 19 new ministers and three new secretaries of state to his cabinet, none of whom were previous members of Conte’s government. In a televised address to the nation, Kouyate said: “This is a government dedicated to public service, guided by integrity, efficiency, the well-being of all and the principles of democracy.” Kouyate stressed that “justice and respect for the rule of law” will guide his administration “as justice is the basis of harmony” [2].

Since early spring, a number of developments in Guinea have occurred to re-stabilize the nation. On June 7th, Kouyate met with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington, DC. The meeting highlighted the Prime Minister’s resolve to follow through with his plans to create a stronger, more just and democratic country. Among other things, Rice and Kouyate discussed Guinea’s need for international aid to rebuild the infrastructure that is needed to hold free and fair parliamentary elections this December. The Guinean Prime Minister also met with officials from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. The IMF recently vowed to renew Guinea’s program which had been terminated due to the country’s inability to meet IMF standards.

For his part, Kouyate used his recent visit to the US to explain some of his actions as Prime Minister. After a military uprising in May called for higher wages, the government promised to promote the military, provide new uniforms, and raise salaries. Under the Prime Minister’s auspice, a new Ministry of Economic and Financial Control, Ethics, and Transparency was established. Private sector auditors were employed to further increase accountability and transparency, and to root out corruption. In addition, the National Assembly established a commission to investigate human rights abuses that occurred in January and February of this year. The government will not be involved in the investigations, however, to avoid issues of impunity. It is clear that Kouyate seeks to create judicial independence and separation of powers in Guinea. In a symbolic effort to separate the executive and judicial branches, he has moved the Ministry of Justice from the building it shared with the judiciary to an old US embassy building. While he takes further steps to separate the two branches of government, the Prime Minister has an ultimate goal in mind: “I envisage total independence of the judiciary” [3].

In theory, the IIJD supports international aid for free, fair, and transparent elections in Guinea, as they are essential to promoting democracy. However, as an organization working toward justice and long-term, sustainable development, we are concerned that such aid may not be used appropriately to further these values. According to Transparency International, Guinea has consistently scored high for corruption; lacking transparency, strong institutions, accountability, and a comprehensive justice system [4]. Recent unrest in Guinea can be understood as symptoms of these underlying problems that permeate into most aspects of civic life. The economic problems faced by Guinea find their root causes in weak governmental institutions that deter economic development and investment.

The IIJD encourages the international community to delineate conditions for aid to facilitate parliamentary elections in December. We believe that elections in Guinea cannot be regarded as legitimate, free and fair until the following criterion is met: